Near pitch black, with a very short and not so long lasting tan head. Nice aroma, mostly roasted, coffee, chocolate.
A bit thin, but tasty. Mostly malt notes, the chocolate is a bit sweeter than the average, some hoppy bite at the end. Alcohol becomes more noticeable over time, but still does not interfere.
Easily drinkable, if not spectacular.

Can't remember who provided this, but thanks! Via a growler at DLD, from notes.

Pours an opaque brown/red edges, thin tan head, nice lacing, pretty sticky stuff. Smell is sweet, very malty, great chocolate and coffee, bit of roast, very nice. Taste is similar, big malty sweetness, lots of chocolate, nice roastiness, touch of vanilla, solid balance. Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with low carbonation, very smooth, a porter I would be happy to have again. Thanks whoever it was!

This isn't a Baltic porter, it's just big American porter. I actually found some similarities in flavor with their wild brunette. The cocoa flavor was very smooth (like so many of their beer seem to be). This was backed up by a light roasted flavor and not much else. It's just chocolate barley flavors that are a bit roasted. It's a deep flavor though, and well worth trying.

Poured medium-firm into a 250 ml A Chouffe goblet. Almost no head and virtually no lacing to speak of, in fact there was no "hiss" as I popped the cap! Oh well, I know that the wisp of dark mahoganny lace that rings the glass is typical of the color that the head usually appears as. The nose offers a sweetish blend of dark malts and roasted malts, very much gives the impression of espresso, complete with the bitterness. No hops to speak of, but I did just pour this from the fridge, so maybe if I let it warm? Appears very dark brown, almost black, and rather opaque. The first sip is sweet and malty, with a very very mild astringency and a lingering bitterness. Notes of coconut (?), chocolate, green apple, and rum. Slightly boozy, but the alcohol is actually quite well-contained and it improves the drinkability greatly. Tangy . . . with some of the malt and roasted malt character I recognize in e.g. Fuller's London Porter, but overall much more on-style for a Baltic Porter (I used to drink this in the past and knew it was off-style for an American or London-style porter : ) Body is medium, mouthfeel is rather good, coating the tongue and palate the way a good treacly-sweet doppelbock might. Not quite creamy, but pretty close. Slightly chalky on the tongue . . . not grainy, but a decent texture overall. Very, very drinkable. As this warms it opens up more, and there's a good bit of yeast on the nose, but still no hops. The hops *are* there of course, offering a classic lingering bitterness that would be acceptable in any other rendition of a British or London style porter. Alcohol warmth comes on slowly, about three quarters of the way through the glass. I've enjoyed this on tap many times and I'm glad to have the ability to bring some home! My second favorite of John's brews, after Little Barley Bitter.

This is one substantial porter. I believe the alchohol content is 8% but seems a little higher to me. Has the aroma and taste of coffee and chocolate. It is sweet but not too sweet which is the problem I find with some porters. I wish I lived closer to Barley John's as I could drink this everyday.

Originally reviewed April 9, 2005. On tap at the Gitchee Gumee Brewfest 2005. Id usually not been fan of Porters at this point, because they seem a little watery and weak, but this one has body and backbone. Aromas of rich chocolate. Strong flavors of more swiss chocolate and a good dose of dark pipe tobacco and strong birch wood smoke. I would drink this all the time. Finishes a little too dryly though, if there were a little more sweetness in the smack and finish, this would be out of this world!

Thanks to hopdog for opening the growler...
Appears black with a 1/2" tan head that slowly fades. Tons of scattered lacing is left around the glass.
Smell is of bitter chocolate, dark fruit, and even a light whiff of banana somewhere in there.
Taste is that of a porter that is rich with chocolate, cream, truffels, and a touch of dark fruit.
Mouthfeel is a little rough around the edges but has some smooth, creamy, rich chocolate and sweetness.

Decent dark brown and opaque in its pout. Yellowish head, not more than 30 seconds in duration. Ring laces, simple in architecture. Definite bitter chocolate aroma, mildish oily hops, the beer's best feature. Medium mouthfeel, somewhat gravelly. Light chocolate, distinct anise, alcoholic sharpness start the flavor profile off, astringent and lingering finish, aftertaste is somewhat offputting. The sweetness is adequate in this beer, but the malt could have more interest and less sharpness, bittering is good, but I can't really jump on the bandwagon with this one.

Appearance: fully black, near-opaque, with a short, yet substantial head above, toasty tan. Aroma: roasty, peppery, notes of anise, and bittersweet espresso, and chocolate.
Gritty, earthy taste, solid, rich character, loaded with malt, just a whiff of hoppiness, full-bodied. Easily drinkable, despite the higher-than-normal ABV. A very pleasurable porter, indeed.
I was just getting used to this one, when along came the waitress, unbidden, with free samples of Alfred's Porter, their step above, weighing in at 14%!
I'll try a full sample of that, next time, if I can, but I'll look forward to this every visit!

Color is very, very dark solid brown, nearly black with a thin tannish-cocoa brown head that fades to a thin ring and small sheets of lacing. Smell is a good sense of dark roastyness and chocolate with a good coffee backing which seems to pick up and become more evident as it warms. Taste comes across way to soon and very uneven of coffee, chocolate and bittering hops, very unbalanced, almost enough for it to be enjoyable. The alcohol of 8% makes an appearance far to soon and is what really makes the flavors falter, it seems to get in the way of any taste.The finish is tolerable with light lingering dark fruits and sweet malts. Its overbearing in the start making this very hard to enjoy or finish. The richness trying to poke through is bogged down by uneven chocolaty bitterness that just never settles or shines like a good chocolate should and the coffee flavor seems like its a week old in pot with only about an inch of liquid left in it. Didn't like this one, seems like it could be better, perhaps next time I'm in at Barley John's I'll try it again sense it is a year round tap.